‘Tis the Season for Caroling, Shopping and Reading

Books make the best Christmas gifts – at least we think so. And our Friends at the Chandler Booktique want to make sure the best gifts come with the best price tags. Shop the booktique’s upcoming 1/2 price book sales scheduled for Nov. 30 and Dec. 30. (Store hours.)

The library’s rotunda is a wonderful venue to hear holiday music. Starting Dec. 1, experience the joy of ourSongs of the Season holiday concert series, typically held 11am-1pm Mon-Sat. For a schedule of performers, times and dates, log onto tscpl.org/programs/songs-of-the-seasons.

For an old-fashioned prairie evening and fun for the whole family, attend A Little House Christmas Dec. 1 at 7pmin Marvin Auditorium. Meet “Laura” and volunteers from Old Prairie Town. Listen to Pa play the fiddle and snack on some of Laura’s gingerbread. View a skit by the cast of the Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy’s Youth. Their upcoming production of A Little House Christmas is based on several stories from the Little House book collection. This program is part of the library’s ongoing Read the Book, See the Play partnership with TCTA. More.

On Dec. 3, 2-3pm, join Charity Rouse, Special Collections librarian, for a discussion of holiday traditions and how they changed during World War II. Holidays in Wartimewill be held in the Topeka Room and includes caroling around the piano, a look at period Christmas cards and advertisements from the 1940s. This program is held in conjunction with “Call of Duty,” an exhibit of art and artifacts in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery.

Enjoy a Renaissance Music Christmas Dec. 4 from 3-4pm in Marvin Auditorium featuring enchanting and delicate sounds of olden times from Castle & Cross Consort, Topeka’s early music ensemble. Listen to holiday tunes on the recorders and folk harp, as well as the krumhorn and psaltery. This concert is part of our Music for a Sunday Afternoon live music series.

We have three upcoming cooking/crafting events just for teens: Glass Ornament Painting Dec. 5, Holiday Cookies Dec. 14, and Treats in a Jar Dec. 19. All programs are at 3:30pm. See room schedule for location.

For kids of all ages, create a silly reindeer hat, make reindeer food to put outside on your lawn, and take home your own container of instant snow so you can guarantee a white Christmas at Parents and Kids Together Dec. 3 at 10am in the Story Zone. Kids grades 3-6, enjoy Gross Stuff: Snowman Poop, a craft program with an educational twist, often tied to a book. Gross Stuff is Dec. 14 at 3:30pm. Kids 2-6 years and their parents and caregivers are invited to Easy Make and Take Crafts Dec. 17 at 10am. Make a cool snowman craft and hear stories about snow.

Holiday Closed Dates

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will be closed on the following dates in observance of the upcoming holidays:

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A public relations professional, editor and writer, Lisa shares the library story in her blog posts, in the bimonthly Library News, and media interviews. A self-described social media and news nut, Lisa harnesses that passion to raise awareness and understanding of the library's vital role in this community.